Patriots vs Jets Preview

Here we go again. Its Jets week here in New England and its the most intense, most hate fueled rivarly going on in the NFL right now. Belichick vs Rex. Brady vs Rex. Welker vs Revis. Everybody ready? Lets break this puppy down.


Last time we saw the Jets, it was one of the few times that a team and coach was able to fool the tandem of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. The Jets game plan was the total opposite of what they did in the game where the Pats blew them out by 42 points. In the 42 point beatdown, the Jets blitzed Brady and Brady eats blitzes up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In the playoff game, they rushed 3 or 4 and just flooded the zones and no one could get open.Similar to what the Giants did in Super Bowl 42 and the Patriots couldn't adjust. Welker was covered, Branch couldn't get open, Gronk and Hernandez were lost and Brady couldn't figure it out. Brady didn't play well and the Pats lost. How do the Jets play it this time? You know Brady has watched that playoff game multiple times and has maybe figured out some ways to beat that coverage. Do the Jets mix it up and blitz at times and play coverage other times? Do they blitz like mad men or play the zones? Do they put Darrelle Revis on Welker? I think they do. Its the ultimate chess match.

I'm expecting and hoping for a big defensive game from the Pats on Sunday. The Jets offensive line is banged up and we all know how bad Mark Sanchez is. Of course, this Pats D has a habit of making mediocre quarterbacks look like John Elway. Last year in week 1, Sanchez looked awful vs the Ravens and then in week 2 he threw 3 touchdowns vs New England. Lets hope that history doesn't repeat itself. And it wont if Albert Haynesworth awakens from his slumber and causes some havoc. If there ever was a week from him to do it, its this week against a banged up Nick Mangold. The Patriots have to get at Sanchez and rattle him and force to make mistakes, which he will.

Usually, during Jets week we hear a ton of crap and trash talking coming from the Fat Man Rex Ryan himself and his team full of mouths. But this week, they've been unusually quiet. The only one that's had anything to say is Antonio Cromartie and he was just saying again that he thinks Tom Brady is an A-hole. Yeah, the guys got 9 kids with 8 different women in 6 different states and Brady's the A-hole. Other than that fool there's been nothing. Usually by Thursday, Rex has said that Brady isn't as good as Peyton Manning and just reaffirming that for the 3rd year in a row hes predicting a Super Bowl. He hasn't said much. All hes said is that Belichick is a better coach than him (no kidding). Maybe this 2-2 start has him humbled a little bit and the fact that there coming in slumping against a team that's hot has him a little worried. The Pats have a chance to maybe bury them early and lets hope they take advantage of that.


Tom Brady had his weekly press conference yesterday and it was the most serious, most locked in I've seen him in awhile. We know he hates the Jets, he's said so himself, and he is ready to unleash hell in this game. A couple reporters tried to get him to respond to Cromartie's comments and he wasn't having any of it. A reporter tried to get him to joke about getting the fans hyped up and he shut that down real quick. "I'm not joking any more this year" was the quote. This guys ready. For those of you that say he's soft since Giselle and when he grew his hair out. The hairs gone and he had a look on his face I haven't seen since 2007. Like I said, this guys ready.


On another note, the Bruins put the final chapter to their magical 2011 Stanley Cup season when they raise the banner tonight. Rumors are flying about whats going to happen tonight and who's going to be there. There's gonna be legends there and it's going to be special. Banner nights here in Boston is a special kind of event. When you see that banner go up and you see the looks on the players faces, you remember all the great moments that happened that year as a fan. Sports in Boston is different than in other cities. Perhaps the only city that knows how we feel is New York. Tonight should be a special night for the Bruins players and their fans. And I look forward to defending that Cup now.


Until next time...